By GLENN MOORE
LONDON - The Golden Age was never like this, more's the pity. The great teams of Liverpool's past dominated Europe with remorseless football lit with flashes of brilliance but they never thrilled Europe like their heirs did this morning.
The growing belief that Gérard Houllier's Liverpool were
boring their way to a remarkable cup treble was left in tatters as they shaded a nine-goal epic against a Deportivo Alaves side who never knew when they were beaten.
In the end, with penalties just three minutes away and the Basque team down to nine men, it took the cruellest of own goals to earn Liverpool their first continental trophy in 17 years.
The most dramatic final in 46 years of European football had been ignited by two Liverpool goals, from Markus Babbel and Steven Gerrard, inside the first 15 minutes.
In a harbinger of the excitement to come Ivan Alonso swiftly replied but when Gary McAllister restored Liverpool's advantage with a 40th-minute penalty it seemed their victory was inevitable.
It proved anything but as Alaves, unbowed, levelled with two goals in three minutes from Javi Moreno soon after the break but Fowler seemed to have finished them when he came off the bench to strike with 17 minutes left.
He had not; Jordi Cruyff took the game into extra time with two minutes to spare. Finally, after first Magno and then Antonio Karmona were dismissed, Alaves capitulated as Delfi Geli inadvertently glanced McAllister's free-kick into his own net.
With the "golden goal" rule even Alaves could not come back from this blow and the red hordes in the vertiginous stands of this magnificent arena exploded with joy.
No one walked alone as Houllier and his players took the cup, last held by an English side when Tottenham won it in 1984, around the Westfalenstadion.
But many walked wearily and now Houllier must revive them for one more match, their 63rd of this incredible season, against Charlton on Saturday if they are to gain the victory they need to compete in next year's Champions' League.
Houllier had made one change from Saturday's FA Cup final team, McAllister replacing Vladimir Smicer.
Alaves had drafted in an extra centre-half but any worries that the game would be a dull stalemate were swept away by the early goal Saturday's final had needed but never got.
Three minutes had gone when, Emile Heskey having won a free-kick on the right, McAllister floated the ball in for Babbel to head past Martin Herrera.
Though this did not silence the travelling Basques, who had been drinking noisily but peacefully with Scouse fans in the city centre throughout the day, Liverpool's second did.
Dietmar Hamann, given space in midfield, found Michael Owen. Spotting Gerrard steaming up on the right flank, he rolled the ball on for the youngster to drill it under Herrera's left hand.
With his dreams disappearing Jose Manuel Esnal acted decisively. Off came Dan Eggen, the Norwegian centre-half, on came Ivan Alonso, the Uruguayan striker. An adventurous 4-3-3 formation was instituted.
The impact was immediate. Within four minutes Cosmin Contra drifted away from Danny Murphy on the right and crossed to the far post where Ivan Alonso, leaping above Babbel, headed in.
Now Liverpool were under pressure and not coping with it. Sami Hyypia headed another Contra cross over his own bar, Babbel's last-ditch tackle spared Stéphane Henchoz after he had let Javi Moreno in, and Westerveld denied Oscar Tellez, Javi Moreno and Ivan Tomic in quick succession.
An Alaves equaliser seemed imminent but the Basques' emphasis on attack was playing into Liverpool's hands and, although McAllister wasted the chance to give his team some breathing space when he sprung the offside trap, Owen did not when he used his pace to run clear from Hamann's pass.
Herrera, after several attempts, eventually brought him down just inside the box and McAllister, showing steely nerves, stroked in the penalty.
Now, surely, Liverpool would close the game up but, as Houllier said at the weekend, they are not yet capable of emulating Manchester United's capacity to do that.
This was quickly underlined as Alaves drew level. Contra (who looks just the man Arsenal need to replace Lee Dixon) set it up, teasing Jamie Carragher before delivering a cross which Javi Moreno headed in.
Three minutes later Henchoz fouled Ivan Alonso on the edge of the box and Javi Moreno drove the free-kick under the wall and past the flat-footed Westerveld.
Now Houllier re-jigged his team. On came Smicer, off went Henchoz, Babbel moved to centre-back and Gerrard to right-back.
Though Liverpool began to gain a measure of possession, and Karmona was booked for a crude foul on Owen, it was not enough, so Fowler joined the fray.
It was another alchemic substitution. McAllister, advancing through the middle, picked out Fowler on the left.
He drifted inside, past two challenges, then clipped an exquisite shot inside the far post. It was his second goal since March and well worth waiting for.
Yet it was not the winner. Liverpool tried to shut the door for good, even withdrawing Owen, but it was forced open as Cruyff, unmarked, headed in Pablo's corner.
The game was back in the balance but after Magno, booked first for diving, then for tripping Babbel, was dismissed after 99 minutes Alaves retreated and waited for penalties. But Karmona felled Smicer and saw red.
McAllister's subsequent free-kick would have been cleared by Herrera but the unfortunate Geli got there first and Alaves were beaten at last.
Liverpool 5 (Babbel, Gerrard, McAllister pen, Fowler, Geli og)
Alaves 4 (Ivan Alonso, Javi Moreno 2, Cruyff)
Halftime: 3-1, 4-4 at 90 min, golden goal winner.
- INDEPENDENT
By GLENN MOORE
LONDON - The Golden Age was never like this, more's the pity. The great teams of Liverpool's past dominated Europe with remorseless football lit with flashes of brilliance but they never thrilled Europe like their heirs did this morning.
The growing belief that Gérard Houllier's Liverpool were
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